It is generally known to use automated carcass washing systems to aid in the removal of physical and microbial contaminants during the harvest process for hided carcasses, de-hided pre-evisceration carcasses, split carcass sides as well as specific parts or areas of the carcass. In such known systems, the whole or split carcass (or part thereof) is conveyed along a chain or rail through at least one (usually a series of) cabinet(s) typically comprised of stationary or oscillating arbor(s) with a series of nozzles attached. Additionally, nozzles are typically placed along a series of arbors to provide directional flow of the contaminants from top to bottom of the carcass or part.
However, one shortcoming associated with such known carcass washing systems is that a large amount of wash solution (air, water, chemical, etc.) is wasted between carcasses (or parts of the carcass) as they move along the chain or rail. Furthermore, known oscillating systems and directionally placed flow nozzle systems require a considerable number of nozzles to perform properly.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system for reducing the amount of solution wasted by not spraying in the gaps between carcasses as the chain moves down the line. Moreover, there is a need for systems to reduce the overall number of nozzles without reducing the efficacy of the washing system in regards to amount of solution applied to a specific carcass.